Web application firewall
A web application firewall is a security system that inspects and filters application-layer web traffic to detect or block malicious requests targeting web applications and APIs.
Secure APIs
A web application firewall filters HTTP traffic to protect web applications and APIs from malicious requests.
- How it is used
- Deploys as a front-facing reverse proxy to inspect API traffic and add protection against application-level and selected network attacks.
- How deep it goes
- Explains deployment, detection, blocking, sanitization, bypasses, and limitations, but stops short of product-specific configuration.
- Examples
- Uses payments-endpoint SQL injection payloads, obfuscation-based WAF bypass, and an OSI-layer figure.
- What you can do after
- Evaluate WAF placement and coverage while testing injection defenses without mistaking perimeter filtering for complete API security.
Build AI-Enhanced Web Apps
A security system that filters and controls HTTP traffic to protect web applications from malicious requests.
- How it is used
- Protects deployed web applications by controlling incoming traffic and responding to suspicious or excessive requests.
- How deep it goes
- Explains deployment purpose and rule actions, but stops short of rule syntax, signatures, or filtering internals.
- Examples
- Uses Vercel Firewall dashboard rules that log, deny, challenge, bypass, or rate-limit traffic.
- What you can do after
- Operate/configure it through Vercel Firewall by creating traffic rules and selecting enforcement or observation actions.
Read how Build AI-Enhanced Web Apps explains web application firewall →
Related concepts
- firewallkind of · A firewall is a network security system that monitors and filters communications according to rules governing which traffic is permitted or blocked.
- Vercelused by · Vercel is a cloud platform for deploying and hosting web applications, particularly those built with modern JavaScript frameworks.
- reverse proxyuses · A reverse proxy is a server-side intermediary that receives client requests, forwards them to backend servers or services, and relays their responses to clients.
- distributed denial of service attackused by · A distributed denial-of-service attack uses traffic or requests from multiple sources to overwhelm a target and impair its availability or function.
- SQL injectionaddresses · SQL injection is an attack in which crafted, untrusted input alters the structure or meaning of a SQL statement, potentially causing unintended database operations.
- contractconfigured by · An API contract is a specification of the operations, data, and behavioral expectations that govern interactions between software components.
These guides are generated from the text of Manning books by Manning's knowledge graph and link to the sections they draw on. The full books are available on liveBook and at manning.com.